New Law Could Fuel Immigration Fraud, Elected Officials Warn

County Supervisor Cynthia P. Coad and Rep. Lou Correa (D-Anaheim) warned Tuesday that illegal immigrants seeking green cards under a new law could fall prey to swindlers trying to take advantage of their desire to become legal residents.

The Legal Immigration and Family Equity Act, some provisions of which are available only through April 30, has people scrambling.

The elected officials want to encourage immigrants to apply but to do so carefully.

“We want to make sure that people are not exploited,” Correa said. “Rampant fraud persists in this community. You have people who work very hard and live in the shadows of our society. If you give them a little hope, they jump. We have to make sure they are not fleeced.”

The law will grant thousands of illegal immigrants so-called green cards, or proof of legal residency. It seeks to reunite families by extending visas to spouses and children and will allow some people who are in the country illegally to apply and wait for citizenship without leaving the U.S.

Correa said immigrants must be made aware that the new law is not a general amnesty like the one approved in 1986. The law is so complex that self-declared immigration specialists and public notaries, called notarios in Spanish, may provide incorrect information.

Immigrants from Latin America often seek out notarios because in other countries public notaries also have law licenses.

“There is a lot of fraudulent activity by unscrupulous people,” Coad said. “There are some notaries and attorneys that led people to believe the process could be facilitated for a fee. This [legislation] is only for a very small group of people.”

The law has raised expectations throughout immigrant communities and caused a great deal of confusion about eligibility.

The Ventura County district attorney’s office launched an investigation after receiving complaints about bogus immigration attorneys.

Coad and Correa suggest that immigrants get information from nonprofit organizations such as Catholic Charities, (714) 662-7500; Youth Empowerment Services, (714) 542-3250; the Immigration Service Center, (714) 953-3146; Casa del Pueblo, (562) 690-5795; or the Mexican Consulate, (714) 835-3069.